georgemonbiot.bsky.social profile picture

George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social

The body of evidence showing that when centrist parties adopt the priorities and talking points of the far right, they torpedo themselves is vast and powerful. Yet Keir Starmer's Labour Party seems determined to ignore it. A few examples in 🧵: theconversation.com/how-should-l...

The evidence suggests traditional parties that ape the populist radical right’s policies risk boosting their rivals instead of reclaiming voters.

How should Labour and the Tories respond to the populist right? Lessons from Europe

The evidence suggests traditional parties that ape the populist radical right’s policies risk boosting their rivals instead of reclaiming voters.

Replies

  2. rosame.bsky.social profile picture

    Rose Byrd @rosame.bsky.social

    Starmer agreeing on the PM prog last night that he wouldn't be happy if his daughter had to walk past an asylum hostel if there were one at the end of his road, was a new low for him and for the BBC journo framing the question with a classic racist smear. Shocking.

    1
  3. stevele.bsky.social profile picture

    @stevele.bsky.social

    The moment he abandoned his 10 pledges was enough for me. Furthermore, Labour (who I was a lifelong supporter and member of) have not only alienated me, a change of leadership will be of no use to them either with the spineless cabinet abandoning all morality and founding values. Politics defines us

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  6. scimihai.bsky.social profile picture

    Mihai Alevra @scimihai.bsky.social

    If only the German CDU could be convinced by that. But somehow it always starts by ignoring inconvenient science. In that regard, they seem like a religious sect, protecting and isolating themselves from outside truth.

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  8. steveyw123.bsky.social profile picture

    @steveyw123.bsky.social

    Totally agree. They should be reeducating the brainwashed with the truth instead. If Labour think solving the “illegal immigrant” issue, will silence the racist right, they are horribly naive. The right will only fall back to their pre-brexit argument that all these “foreigners” are taking our jobs.

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  10. stairy.bsky.social profile picture

    @stairy.bsky.social

    In personality, Johnson and Starmer are opposites but look a bit deeper and they both share this; they are so bereft of core values that they will "lead" the mob from behind, regardless of its direction, to stay in power.

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  11. bi99le5.bsky.social profile picture

    Alan Rodgers @bi99le5.bsky.social

    When they adopt the talking points of the far right they cease being centrist parties. This notion that the centre moves because some previously left of centre parties have jumped to the right only serves to narrow political discourse, reducing horizons. The left is the left, the centre, the centre.

    1
  12. martandelus.bsky.social profile picture

    Martandelus (Cheez) @martandelus.bsky.social

    It is a shame that this is how far-right parties have been winning, Starmer's Labour as a centrist lot, have managed to let themselves be blown over to the right, big business lobbying, granted. But it grants that legitimacy to the far-right and indeed alienates voters, shoulda moved left...

    1
  13. triskaf.bsky.social profile picture

    @triskaf.bsky.social

    Starmer is a far right stooge. It’s his agenda to further right wing policies.

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  14. panuzis.bsky.social profile picture

    PA @panuzis.bsky.social

    Yep, they're trying to have some kind of rational conversation around RefUK, and it just will not work. RefUK will keep everyone, esp Labour, busy - bang 💥 here's a cras policy, bang 💥 have another one, bang 💥a dog whistle headline, bang 💥 another one ....

    Expose RefUK not each word they say!

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  16. layer8problem.bsky.social profile picture

    Layer8 @layer8problem.bsky.social

    My operating assumption in regard to Starmer is that his objective is to put Reform in power. His actions make much more sense this way.

    Of course, that's probably not literally true, but if you use it as a model it's easier to predict their policies.

    1
  18. 1dewderino.bsky.social profile picture

    @1dewderino bsky.social @1dewderino.bsky.social

    In France, many studies have shown why people vote extreme right. The principal reasons are: Economic fragility Feeling a loss of national identity Lack of education Sense of personal injustice. Insecurity. The left have accepted the RWNJs agenda rather than combat the causes of the above.

    1
  20. megabrow12.bsky.social profile picture

    Shamp @megabrow12.bsky.social

    I do wonder if Farage actually wants to be Prime Minister. Seems to me he wants influence but no actual responsibility.

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  21. valvefreak.bsky.social profile picture

    Valvefreak @valvefreak.bsky.social

    Hit back very hard. No mercy to bullies. Remove the BBC management as they are in cahoot with reform and the right of the conservatives. Ban GB news on grounds that they are not impartial or 2 sided, give them a day to change then no mercy and close.

    1
  24. gendrysgonads.bsky.social profile picture

    @gendrysgonads.bsky.social

    Almost like he's more interested in ensuring the rich don't feel the squeeze the rest of us are than stopping racism and fascism. But they did donate a lot of money to get him elected...

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  25. jamesbottomley.bsky.social profile picture

    James Bottomley @jamesbottomley.bsky.social

    When it comes to the elections, will voters choose a party that apes selected far right tropes, or will they choose the actual far right? The Tories have the same credibility problem. People admire honesty and guts. Labour are acting like timid weasels with poor language skills.

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  26. siddunstan.bsky.social profile picture

    Sid @siddunstan.bsky.social

    People still think Starmer is just playing up to the right? Some of his first acts were to starve children, freeze the elderly, demonise asylum seekers and give the full backing of a genocide... Maybe he is what he is?

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  27. jbepolitics.bsky.social profile picture

    JBE POLITICS @jbepolitics.bsky.social

    With only 2% of 2024 Labour voters highly likely to back Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party in future elections…

    Why are Labour officials so desperate to pin their failures on him?

    My analysis of the data provides evidence of why their claim is nonsense.

    www.jacobbarclayevans.com/why-labour-c...

    With Reform UK surging above Labour in the polls, Neil Kinnock has turned to attack Jeremy Corbyn's new party for 'splitting the left wing vote'. Here's why his claims are nonsense!

    Why Labour Cannot Blame Jeremy Corbyn if Nigel Farage Becomes Prime Minister

    With Reform UK surging above Labour in the polls, Neil Kinnock has turned to attack Jeremy Corbyn's new party for 'splitting the left wing vote'. Here's why his claims are nonsense!
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  30. thelivesaroundus.bsky.social profile picture

    Dan Papworth @thelivesaroundus.bsky.social

    I see I've now been shot at for daring to have a conversation. Let me rephrase: what priorities and talking points would you like to see to change the narrative? What are the obstacles to that agenda?

    0
  31. thelivesaroundus.bsky.social profile picture

    Dan Papworth @thelivesaroundus.bsky.social

    In a 2-party system one will inevitably dominate. Somehow that has been the Cons party. As in the USA, there's a challenge to attract the core vote. Labour has already done much good, and I'd rather have them than the old enemy. Is the rhetoric a price we have to pay? 1/

    1
  33. mrkeithtaylor.bsky.social profile picture

    Keith Taylor @mrkeithtaylor.bsky.social

    Starmer: "There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them." But the 'people' in this case are a handful of pro-Farage media outlets and social media malcontents, and off Starmer marches while the rest of us sit here wondering what the fuck just happened.

    1
  34. josipdasovic.bsky.social profile picture

    Josip Dasovic @josipdasovic.bsky.social

    It's what has happened to the Democrats in the USA. I've been saying this for years: Why would anyone want to vote for a facsimile of a right-wing party when they can vote for the real thing. Why vote Republican-lite (Dem) when they can vote for the real Republican Party?

    3
  43. curiousrobin.bsky.social profile picture

    Curious Robin @curiousrobin.bsky.social

    The same happens when left wing commentators lampoon them

    It feeds the far right. Allows them to say they're the only people who can sort the problems.

    Right wing journalism and left wing social media will put Farage in power

    1
  46. justjeremy.bsky.social profile picture

    @justjeremy.bsky.social

    A confused analysis: “The evidence suggests that when parties adopt populist radical right positions, voters are more likely to defect to the radical right instead” but also “the Labour party should combine leftwing economics with more socially authoritarian stances on crime and immigration” Wut?!

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  47. badcyclist.bsky.social profile picture

    Bad_Cyclist @badcyclist.bsky.social

    Moving right has never been the formula for a successful political party. The only reasons for a political party to move right are bribery and corruption.

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  51. megatronmumma.bsky.social profile picture

    @megatronmumma.bsky.social

    Starmer seems to be well liked by fellow politicians, notably Norway's PM, who sees him as a careful statesman but it's not translating into grass roots support. They lack feisty Comms to engage with Millennials/Gen Z. They need to take more risks and be authentic. We need to see results fast.

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  52. ianward.bsky.social profile picture

    Ian Ward #FBPE🇪🇺 #FBPPR💙#FBNHS 📎 @ianward.bsky.social

    The mistake is to copy the message rather than the messenger. A 'righteous' message delivered with honesty and passion, by a voice that resonates with its audience, will be heard and echoed by the media they read. Beigeness, from either side, won't.

    1
  54. lupinchen723.bsky.social profile picture

    Lupinchen @lupinchen723.bsky.social

    Why, for the love of all deities, can they not see this??? I wrote to my MP about this hideous lurch to the right they're displaying and to date... not even an acknowledgment of receipt, never mind a bloody answer. I despair at the rank stupidity and short sightedness of Labour right now

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  56. ad1957.bsky.social profile picture

    Andy doyle @ad1957.bsky.social

    The only thing I disagree with is I thought this was obvious before they got into power I didn’t hold any hope out for this Labour government at all and they have fulfilled my worst expectations

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  58. alefanas.bsky.social profile picture

    @alefanas.bsky.social

    nigel should change his last name because its Arabic . Farage فرج and it means salvation !

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  59. cbomg.bsky.social profile picture

    @cbomg.bsky.social

    Staggering really. That with the flags yesterday was toe curling. It’s clear what the flags on lampposts mean and it isn’t patriotism. Starmer needs to stop bowing to the racist morons and start fighting fire with fire. He should start with a new director general of the BBC.

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  61. lsherper.bsky.social profile picture

    Lisa Sherper @lsherper.bsky.social

    This is spot on. There are bell weather issues-minimum wage, civil rights, money in politics, health care, military spending and education. Clinton increased incarceration of Black Americans, ushered in neoliberal policies, anti-immigration policies, welfare reform and helped lay ground for Trump.

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  63. coffindodger.bsky.social profile picture

    @coffindodger.bsky.social

    “Of political parties claiming socialism to be their aim, the Labour Party has always been one of the most dogmatic - not about socialism, but about the parliamentary system.” Ralph Miliband 1961

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  64. tomromdal.bsky.social profile picture

    @tomromdal.bsky.social

    "follow the Danish" is a lie in this article. The Danish SD did nothing but ape the anti-immigrant policies of the populist right party. There is even a name for this aping in Danish, it's called the "Sass Doctrine" named for the preeminent SD strategist at the time. kkg.dk/politisk-his...

    Skrevet af Mathias Schwartz Kirkegaard, cand.scient.pol, 5/11-2023 (opdateret 6/6-2025) Tre politiske strategier har været toneangivende i 00’erne og helt op i 2020’erne. De to doktriner handler om væ...

    De politiske doktriner efter årtusindskiftet: Hjort-doktrinen, Sass-doktrinen og kontraktpolitikken - KKG

    Skrevet af Mathias Schwartz Kirkegaard, cand.scient.pol, 5/11-2023 (opdateret 6/6-2025) Tre politiske strategier har været toneangivende i 00’erne og helt op i 2020’erne. De to doktriner handler om væ...
    1
  66. tocoso.bsky.social profile picture

    Tocoso @tocoso.bsky.social

    Labour have validated all of Reforms hateful messages. They could have stood for our real British values but they have turned to flag humping.

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  68. jimspriggs65.bsky.social profile picture

    @jimspriggs65.bsky.social

    Oh good, a picture of Farage with a wide-open mouth ( © All media outlets).

    My morning would not have started well without it.

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  69. alacre.bsky.social profile picture

    @alacre.bsky.social

    Exactly the same here in Sweden. The "Social Democrats" have voted with the right-wing government in all votes on migration and crime. Similar scenario in Denmark. It seems that any sympathy or empathy with immigrants is taboo.

    0
  70. er2023.bsky.social profile picture

    ER 🇪🇺 @er2023.bsky.social

    Not happy w/ this paragraph at all. That's what Starmer is doing right now (except that I'm not even sure they are doing "leftwing economics" - maybe it's Starmer's "Phase 2", but anyway,they are losing me with "more socially authoritarian stances on crime and immigration").It's a big no-no from me.

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  74. dalesmithonline.com profile picture

    Dale Smith @dalesmithonline.com

    I think by this point you just have to take them at face value: they're not saying stuff they don't believe because they hope it will bring them Farage's voters. They're doing government how they think it should be done, building the country they want.

    1
  76. olddek.bsky.social profile picture

    Derek Sherratt @olddek.bsky.social

    When the leader of the party in power keeps talking about a party with 4 MP's. He's not warning people about them he's giving the gits credibility.

    0
  80. antiseacide.bsky.social profile picture

    seacide @antiseacide.bsky.social

    My biggest concern is what they’re actually normalising, especially if Reform UK get elected into power next. The contrast between ‘democracy’ and fascism won’t be so obvious and a new authoritarian regime will get away with more than they currently hope. All are normalising the end of civilisation.

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  86. failedanarchist.bsky.social profile picture

    The Failed Anarchist Revival @failedanarchist.bsky.social

    I remember a phrase you used in a similar context: "why vote for the echo when you can vote for the shout"?

    Starmer is on a hiding to nothing. his awkward demeanour - permanently like someone who's just realised that he's put his underpants on back to front - won't help him either

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  89. steb77.bsky.social profile picture

    Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social

    I am totally baffled by this. Keir Starmer is by far the biggest facilitator of Farage/Reform. Their best recruiting agent. Is Starmer a useful idiot, just an idiot, or a corrupt idiot, following oligarch orders?

    2
  94. leftywright.bsky.social profile picture

    Lefty Wright @leftywright.bsky.social

    I'm now starting to think Starmer is tasked with destroying the labour party from within I didn't like Corbyn but I did like his policy offering & he terrified the chattering class It comes back to:

    "If starmer is a Trojan horse to make labour unelectable, what exactly would he do differently?"

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  97. marinersmax.bsky.social profile picture

    @marinersmax.bsky.social

    The migration issue is a toxic combination of people traffickers and politics driven by Putin and other forces to destabilise and cause division. To help Farage far right NAZIS for Putin!

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  98. marinersmax.bsky.social profile picture

    @marinersmax.bsky.social

    Boris Johnson was building our arm forces ready to stand up to Putin. Helping Rolls Royce and British industry . Promoting Hydrogen energy so Britain could be self sufficient in and independent. He was extremely popular with the voters A plot was set to ridiculing and chase him out of office.

    1
  100. stevebasnett.bsky.social profile picture

    Steve B @stevebasnett.bsky.social

    The supporting Cambridge work seals the deal on what we were already witnessing.

    Did the Conservatives not pave the way for this as well? My own observations, but I felt they were outrageous policy vomiting and behaving like extremist populists for several years in power. Arguably even more so now.

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  101. danhowdle.bsky.social profile picture

    Dan Howdle @danhowdle.bsky.social

    i mean, the tories literally tried to out-farage farage before the last ge – we don't need to go very far back to see how that pans out, do we

    1
  102. lbcwatchuk.bsky.social profile picture

    LBC Watch @lbcwatchuk.bsky.social

    Does this report factor in the fact that centrist parties aren't just facing far right parties, they're also facing a very loud and very powerful far-right media landscape?

    Possibly one of the most unique media environments in the world (in terms of volume and power).

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  104. martinreich.bsky.social profile picture

    Martin Reich @martinreich.bsky.social

    What I sometimes wonder, in light of all the clear evidence, is, if parts of the conservatives even care? Or if they even aim on prevent a modern conservative movement to come into existence? And prefer the far-right to become stronger and at some point merge with them? Because, even if they don't

    1
  105. jbl23.bsky.social profile picture

    @jbl23.bsky.social

    Starmer’s stupidity on this issue is absolutely astounding, a man who is supposed to be a leader in civil society, our laws and rights, To be using the language and methods of facism, when he is supposed to be leader of the party of rights and responsibilities, is disgraceful and Deceitful,

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  106. hornist24.bsky.social profile picture

    @hornist24.bsky.social

    Almost as though Lab is ready to give NF keys to No 10 now. For those without PMI, it will be a catastrophe. Also: No human rights(out of ECHR) No climate measures Destruction secure supplies food/meds Trump/Putin sycophancy, 51st state? Abandonment of European allies Unelected cronies to cabinet.

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  107. stevenphillips7.bsky.social profile picture

    Steve Phillips @stevenphillips7.bsky.social

    We have to face the unpleasant fact that a vast majority of voters want to see action to "stop the boats" & reduce the number of asylum seekers. Are you suggesting Starmer should just tell them they're all wrong? How do you see that playing out?

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